To our little man HJ, also referred to as J on this blog space. Named after his dad's dad in the family tradition of alternating Hxxxxx and Cxxxxxx each generation. His middle name came from his dad's maternal grandfather. To top it all off, he was born bright and early on his maternal grandfather's birthday. We refer to him as our steeped in tradition child.

inspiring food for thought...

open cabinets/shelving:

stove side:



pantry/meal planning:



small lamp and glass storage:



upgrade ideas:



color inspirations:

Kayla we all hope you enjoy your card, letters and gifts! You are sorely missed, but will never, ever be forgotten!!! We know in our hearts that one day God will bring you back to us. Happy 12th!!!!

with heartfuls of love always,
Dad, E, C, N, J and lil J

some inspiring details...


a beautiful moment:

grass cloth paired with beaded board/board and batten:
(whatever we go with here will be continued into the mudroom/dining room/office area... also why many of the pics look so familiar)



graphic accent wall:




to dos...

1. purchase and have new front door and storm installed (swap rh for lh opening to improve traffic flow and accessibility for moving furniture in and out of the house)
2. paint doors & trim
3. hang key box/rack left of door above light switches
4. prime and paint ceiling
5. install grass cloth wallpaper
6. install beaded board/ board and batten wall treatment in a stepped design to mimic the stairs
7. paint and install chair rail & crown moulding
8. find frames and print blk&wht photos of kids to fill the stepped wall treatment space
9. remove spindles and install brackets to simplify stair wall
10. assemble collection of mirrors on opposite side of stairs
11. install light fixtures (entry & top of stairs)

some inspiration...

great laundry inspired wall art:

smart drying racks:






appliance art:



wordy dressers:

Some inspiration...

grasscloth & beadedboard/ board & batten walls:

graphic accent wall/ painted furniture pieces:




picture ledges:



luxe curtain panels:



temp storage solutions to blend into decor:

1. move/enlarge doorway between entry & dining room
2. scrape and prime ceiling and transition
3. prime walls
4. install wallpaper, beaded board/board and batten, crown and chair rail
5. order/install new window treatments
6. install light fixtures (chandie, lantern, pendant)
7. paint table top (greige), chairs (black)
8. stripe dining zone rug
9. paint buffet(s)
10. paint dresser for mudroom zone (silver leaf/black/chalkboard paint)
11. upholster top of bench for mudroom zone
12. paint office cabinetry (blk/brn)
13. install command central in office zone

it's been one of those times... I'm hanging on to a little bit of hope like a life line.

Our year was off to a very bright and hopeful start. As is typical, "anything worth having is worth fighting/working for" comes to mind these days. Amazing how a week can drastically change one's outlook. I'm struggling to maintain my positive hopeful outlook already this year. I know life has made me/us stronger, but I'm having a weak moment or some weak moments... we'll see how long this lasts.

Potential for our bright future has dimmed somewhat. Seems at every turn, we have been met with new challenges and they all feel very tough right about now. The "to do" list seems to keep growing, our timelines for different projects seems to keep shrinking, the budget seems to keep shrinking, I'm starting to feel overwhelmed (and that's not good, cuz all I wanna do then is go into hibernation/paralyzed mode), school changeover isn't going as smoothly as advertised, teen drama unfolds yet again (I know I'll look back on these years completely differently than I feel ATM, probably very wistful and with a great measure of calm... yeah so not the reality right NOW).

-Does the teen roller coaster get easier before they are out on their own... or do I just need to accept this is the reality for us until at least the eldest gets her wings & leaves the nest?

-Can't decided what's real & what's just a test with her. Honesty hasn't been her strong suit, story-telling has. That's hard.

-Poor teen choices are rough on everyone, but the possible future consequences I'm fearing greatly for her and for us as parents.

-Struggling with how to get the point across, of how lasting and how hard, poor choices are to live with in reality.

-Talk about tough decisions! Hubs was very mad, disappointed and adamant last night, not a fun discussion to have had with him.

-Honestly, it was really scary. made me wanna run away like a child.

-Everyone thinks having a new little human to take care of is the scary phase. It's honestly a walk in the park compared with the teen years. These are truly the years you need a "For Dummies" version of an owner's manual/parenting guide more than any others!


OK feeling a little better just getting that out there. We'll see what happens tonight at counseling. A bit glad DH is working most of the weekend. Don't think I can take that level of tension in the house right now... I'm still digesting it all myself. I think he needs his time to let it all sink in too.

Some inspiration...

Moody wall color (helps disguise tv and create cozy feel for the space):

Pops of color (in an otherwise neutral space):

1. Scrape & prime ceiling and transition.
2. Install wallpaper, beadboard, crown & trim.
3. Paint it out. (wht)
4. Paint walls (MSL ?Monk's Cloth and Molasses)
5. Paint trim work (blk/brn)
6. New sheer @ window.
7. Pillow covers to continue pops of color.
8. Wall gallery w flatscreen TV.
9. Install ceiling fan.
10. Find a floor lamp (corner of sectional)... OK this one is a maybe, cuz I can't decide if we really need the additional lighting or not. There are times I'm sitting on that side of the room itching for some decent light to read by, but hubs thinks it's just more wasteful spending.
11. Paint side table & media cabinet (blue-ish/aqua-ish/teal-ish/green-ish)... yeah haven't quite got the color pinned down yet.

First some inspiration for the taking in...
striped walls:

magazine rack where the sink is now:



an accent wall:

1. Remove old flooring (tile & grout is cracking from too much subfloor movement).
2. Move door to side wall (opening into mudroom space).
3. Build new wall where door was (accent wall).
4. Paper the ceiling (w faux tin wallpaper).
5. Paint and install crown (creamy wht).
6. Paint stripes on 3 walls (except accent/sink wall, creamy wht).
7. Install new flooring.
8. Paint vanity & wall cabinets (blk/brn). 
9. Paint trim work & door (blk/brn).
10. Install sink/vanity (swap faucet w full bath).
11. Lighting.
12. Accessorize.

We have so many things to accomplish before we can put our house on the market.
Just typing them out as a frame of reference when life gets chaotic and my recall inevitably fails me.
............................................................................................................
OK maybe that wasn't the greatest idea of where to start. I won't even share it right now. It's simply too depressing ATM. Being so busy with life and letting things slide for a few years, doesn't help when you need to get things accomplished in a specific timeline.
...............................................................................................................
I think I have a better approach to getting started and not demotivating ourselves in the process. I'll start making lists of what needs to be done room by room. Print each one out and tape to a wall in that room.

Then I'll start putting items on the calendar for each of us (DH, myself & older kids) to work on. That way, we can cross things off as we get them accomplished and the workload won't be so terribly overwhelming for any individual family member. I'll combine the room lists into a master list just as an overall frame of reference moving forward with our progress.
.................................................................................................................

OK yeah, that's so much better!!!

of a new to us HOME...
2 Car Garage- 1st bay used for outdoor equipment/ woodworking/ paint space, 2nd for dad's car, (future add man door)

Mudroom- paint/paper, has wet bar area (maybe convert to a kitchenette), add closet next to kitchenette?, add cubbies/benches, hooks, shelves/baskets, organized drop zone just inside door on garage wall, new flooring (same as kid kave), redo rad cover & build into a bench w mirror above, add shelving to under stairs storage area


Guest Room- for DH's mum down the road, carpet (flor) over current flooring, paint/paper to her liking, remove doors from closets & add curtains to coordinate with her bedding


Powder Room- painted/stenciled (maybe add a corner shower later)


Cold Cellar- paint, stow: deep freezer, potatoes/onions, beverages & cold foods for gatherings

Kid Kave- carpet removed/ new vinyl laminate hybrid flooring, paneling painted/ vertical stripes (wht/ pale greige), FP painted/stained (mid greige/wht) w woodburning insert, copper silk curtain panels (have), turquoise pattern sheers, game table, large china cabinet painted, mom's triple dresser painted deep peacock/wht/blk?  for media cabinet, sectional (mid grey slipcovered, washable), toss pillows in accent colors (coppers, aquas/teals, wht), 4 storage ottomans (2 dk brwn, 2 wht/lt grey), slim console table behind sectional large hamper basket for toss pillows, OS chalkboard for game scores w bright frame, OS neutral scrapbook paper enhanced canvas w clips for rotating kids artwork/pics, mixed frame grouping of kids & activities above sectional.






Laundry Closet- fresh coat of paint, rods, dressers, clear bins on shelves, add lighting, shoe cubbies, drying racks

Basement Hall- graphic wallpaper (damask print?) same colorway as main hall to coordinate, carpet removed, steps painted & faux natural fiber runner installed for traction, same flooring at landing as kid kave/mudroom, lower half of dutch door added at top of stairs opens towards bath

Main Hall- remove carpet/ restore wood floor, horizontal striped walls, frame in grand central (communication center long shelf as desk top, shelves above, storage below: recycle bin, trash, file cabinet?) along closet wall
adding curtains that coordinate with gathering room


Main Full Bath- remove wallpaper, paint/stencil?, relocate sink, new vanity (have), replace worn flooring (same as Kid Kave?), mirror, light, shower curtain, bath rug, add linen closet (taken from hall closet)

Foyer- install bar/buffet in closet, hanging hall tree with mirror over radiator, new rad cover, small shoe rack in front of radiator, velvet upholstered bench across with large interpretation of modern art in our colorway

Sun Room/Play Room- armoire/ china hutch painted (cream/aqua/lt olive) against brick wall, low cubby benches lining window walls for baskets of J's toys (double as extra seating/side tables in a pinch), pull out small folding tables & chairs for gatherings (kids drink station, snack foods) (keep stored in laundry/closet), drop cloth/dk choc velvet panels

Gathering Room (living/dining)- carpet removed/ wood floors renewed, paint paneling/mantel, paint TV/gallery wall, faux grasscloth paper front/bk walls, curtains dbl full length at bay over off white sheers, curtains full length at french doors- demi curtains at dining window (linen/dropcloth & velvet PB Stone Blue) over off white sheer roman shade, long couch/ shallow U sectional w storage from Home Reserve, graphic area rug, long wooden console table behind couch/sectional, loveseat/chair & a half,  round table as coffee table (with shelf underneath) w couple of child size chairs, ceramic garden stools as side tables for side chairs, leather chair/non recliner recliner for DH, glass console table as dining table, U cushioned banquette w storage under & new rad cover built in, dining chairs on outside


Kitchen- paint, reconfigure DW/sink, remove angled cabinets & pantry, open doorway into living area, open area above range, add-on peninsula/island behind range, open up wall where pantry was leaving buffet/bar with wall cabinets under, add door to new pantry, line pantry with shelving (both fixed & rolling, baking cart w stand mixer)

Studio-carpet removed/ wood floors restored, paint, rolling shelving rack for scraprack, workstations with storage under & over (on master wall) that wraps in an L master wall to window wall, center island for fabric cutting, wall nxt to closets for kid arts/crafts, cushioned storage bench added to closet for reading nook, take door off closet (maybe hang curtains to cover up shelving storage?)


Cuddle Room- remove carpet/ restore wood floor, paint, area rug, smaller couch, larger loveseat w upholstered ottoman w tray for coffee table, office in closet for hubs, gift wrap station behind the entry door media table/chest w flatscreen TV mounted above between windows, couple pics & tokens from wedding in built in shelving lined w wallpaper, new door to master


Master Bedroom- remove carpet/ restore wood floor, paint, runner rugs on either side of bed, curtains (fabric roman to match) over blinds on wide/side window, shared dresser under wide/side window, tall chest/armoire for bedding in front of alt master door, bench(es)/loveseat at foot of bed, utilize his/her WIC, small nightstands, hanging chandie for moi, vertical swinging wall lamp for hubs


Master Half Bath- remove carpet/ restore wood floor, paint/paper, new vanity (already have), low flow toilet, faucet, mirror & light

Kid Hall- same paper as Basement Hall, same stair treatment Basement Hall

C's Room- remove carpet/ restore wood floor, paint/paper, insulate WIC, floor level furniture for WIC, upholstered headboard, platform for bed, day bed/bookcases


N's Room- paint, light, new bedding, metal accents, sports/gaming accessories, window treatments


H's Room- paint, light, bedding, soccer/classic menswear accessories, window treatments


J's Room- remove carpet/restore wood floor, paint/paper, balloon valances topped w blackout lined curtain panels, painted furniture


Kids' Full Bath- remove carpet/restore wood floor (new floor or paint), paint, open bottom double vanity w dbl sinks, shower curtain, bath rug regrout & caulk tub/shower walls


Shed- Haven't found right inspiration yet...

Time to create a vision board with pics/info & inspiration for our new to us, home-to-be. I've started one on Pinterest. I so Lurv that virtual place!!! My own anywhere binder of inspiration boards for everything I care about or long to get around to one of these days. Need to do some fine tuning/editing since I started it originally for our current home.